Representations in Pride

Representation of Women

In the film multiple female characters are involved, the character of Sian represents how women are traditionally expected to be a housewife and forced to be of lower status in terms of society in comparison to men. In the scene where Sian is cooking in the kitchen and being told off by her husband, highlights how women are ordered around and controlled by their husbands and are archaically expected to complete certain jobs that are deemed womanly, for example cooking, cleaning and bearing children.

 

Her appearance is old fashioned to reflect the old fashioned values she holds. Her body is completely covered in clothing, her clothing is inconspicuous and muted due to the dark and grim colours of her clothing, this is a common clothing theme for women throughout the film. However the muted colour scheme could be a means of representing the fact Sian is, at the beginning of the film, almost forbidden from expressing herself and her opinions on the gays.

In the first scene that Sian really comes out of her shell is when she speaks out in front of the community board, she says;

"I’m sorry, but everyone’s saying they don’t have a problem. Good. They’ve raised the most money so - Invite them."

She breaks character in this scene and we as the audience get the impression that she's never spoken out before in front of these people. This is indicated by Hefina's reaction, who asks

"And who the bloody hell are you?"

Hefina's reaction suggests she holds a figure of authority in the community, or, as Sian refers to her, being the "head honcho".